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Preview : Match 43 – SRH vs MI

Sunrisers Hyderabad, who are fifth in the standings take on fourth-placed Mumbai Indians in Match 43 of the Pepsi IPL 2013.

Defeats in their last two matches – against Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals – has seen the Sunrisers Hyderabad slip out of the top four teams in the standings. The Mumbai Indians meanwhile are on a roll having won their last three matches; they not only beat defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, but also got the better of the daunting Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab in their most recent match.

With three teams tied on 12 points and only two points further separating the fifth and sixth-placed teams, both teams will be keen to grab the points on offer in this match.

When

Wednesday, May 1, 2013, 4 p.m

Where

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad

The Protagonists

With Kumar Sangakkara back in the Sunrisers Hyderabad eleven, it is important that he converts his experience to runs for the team. In a team with not too much Indian talent on the batting front, it is important that one of either Sangakkara or Shikhar Dhawan bat for a majority of the innings and then allow the others to play around them. In Thisara Perera and Darren Sammy, SRH have two batsmen who can turn on the heat towards the end.

In the Mumbai Indians line-up, Dwayne Smith coming good with the bat at the top of the innings has reduced the pressure on Dinesh Karthik and Rohit Sharma, both of who are batting beautifully. They will continue to be the important characters in MI’s batting plans. Sachin Tendulkar has played some scintillating strokes this season and has looked in fine touch – a big innings from the Little Master could be just round the corner.

Among the fast bowlers who are difficult to get away, whatever the format are Dale Steyn (SRH) and Lasith Malinga (MI). While Amit Mishra has used the variations up his sleeve to good effect, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha have been impressive in their last couple of outings.

Previous Meetings

These two teams are meeting for the very first time.

In their two previous IPL matches in Hyderabad – against the erstwhile Deccan Chargers, the Mumbai Indians got the better of the hosts on both occasions. They won the first meeting against DC in 2008 by 25 runs and subsequently won the match in 2011 by 37 runs.Trivia

This match will feature the top two wicket-takers in the IPL; MI’s Lasith Malinga tops the list with 89 wickets while SRH’s Amit Mishra is one wicket behind.

The first innings totals in the three matches at Hyderabad this season have been 126, 130 & 123.What Next

Sunrisers Hyderabad play the second of their three back-to-back home games against the Delhi Daredevils on May 4. The Mumbai Indians meanwhile head back home to host the Chennai Super Kings on May 5.

I enjoy ‘keeping for DD: Kedar Jadhav

Relishes his role with the Delhi Daredevils

By Harsh Kalan

Raipur 30 April 2013

A rejuvenated Delhi Daredevils outfit will be looking to make it 2-0 at their new home in Raipur when they take on the Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday. During their game against the Pune Warriors India on Sunday, the entire team operated like a well-oiled machine and contributed towards their 15-run win.

One of these crucial contributions that night came from the blade of Kedar Jadhav, who has also taken on the responsibility of ‘keeping wicket for his team.

“This is the first time I’m ‘keeping at a high level, but I do ‘keep at the club level. I always enjoy it,” said Jadhav. “Whenever I get a chance, I try to ‘keep wicket, even during practice. It is one thing I am used to.”

Apart from his glove work, the Maharashtra batter has also been playing a key role in the middle order for the Daredevils. He attributes a good preceding domestic season to his productive run in IPL 2013.

“I have been playing well throughout the domestic season, so my confidence level is good. And I have belief in my ability, in that if I stay till the end, I can score more runs. This is because my batting style is attacking,” Jadhav said.

The 28-year-old was also all praises about the brand new IPL venue at Raipur.

“The wicket here is quite good, because we made 164 in the last match,” said Jadhav. “There is good bounce in it, the ground is also superb and the facilities are also great.”

The Daredevils will, therefore, be hoping for another good outing at their new home ground when they meet a KKR side that has been battling indifferent form of late.

Jadhav, meanwhile, is focusing on his role in the middle order, where he has had a fair bit of success. “Obviously, I like the role that I’m playing right now. I am enjoying batting in the death overs, since it is a different challenge,” Jadhav said.